MICHELANGELO’S MOSES

🗿 The sculpture of Moses created by Michelangelo between 1513 and 1515, was intended for the mausoleum of Pope Julius II. In the statue, the master captured the moment when Moses received the tablets with 10 commandments, while the Israelis were still worshiping the golden calf.

🗿 Interestingly, the prophet is depicted with small horns on his head. Such a mistake was made due to the mistranslation of a biblical passage from Hebrew. In the original it said that it was difficult for people to look at Moses’ face “shining with radiated light“. In the Middle Ages, the Hebrew language was not known, and Jerome of Stridon, who was the chief translator of the holy letter into Latin, translated the text as “his face was horned from the conversation of the Lord”.

🗿 The statue, 235 cm high, was one of Buonarroti’s favourite works. When he finished it, he exclaimed, hitting his knee with his hand: “Why aren’t you talking?“ The sculpture, which was originally intended for St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, was placed in the Basilica San Pietro in Vincoli (literally St Peter in chains) because of a disagreement between the Pontiff and Michelangelo.

🗿 Thousands of Roman Jews later came to the Catholic Church only to admire their prophet, whose image was imprinted in marble. On the sides of the statue of Moses there are sculptures of Leah and Rachel, symbolising the active and contemplative side of spiritual life.